Faculty of Art

Drawing and Painting

Anna Petrosyan

Allegory of Womahood

Allegory of Womanhood is a faceless self-portrait that explores themes of womanhood, memories and mysticism.

“Allegory of Womanhood (12x24, acrylic on canvas) is a faceless self-portrait that explores themes of womanhood, memories and mysticism. The vertically long canvas portrays the torso and hips of a female body, whose hands and feet constitute two spoons and a fork, respectively. The cutlery is attached to the body with a thin red ribbon, symbolic of menstrual blood. The ribbon also holds 5 pieces of wheat, which cover the genitals. An abstract organic form, resembling a brain or intestines, emerges from the neck. The unusual depiction of the female body supports the idea that female surrealists approached the depiction of the female body in a different way: they portrayed it not as a passive object but as a monstrous and unapproachable creature. This hybrid depiction of the female body is partially influenced by Armenian traditional dolls. Usually made by women, Armenian dolls would often be made with cutlery, wheat and ropes. The inclusion of spoons and a fork in this work touches on the idea of consumption of the body. Nonetheless, the cutlery acts as her hands and feet and cannot be used for consuming her. Moreover, while ropes are often indicators of psychic and physical repression, in this painting, the rope helps keep the wheat, spoons, and fork connected to the body. Therefore, Allegory of Womanhood combines traditional Armenian doll-making and the feminist approach to representing the female body not as an object of sexual desire but as a monstrous creature. ”